Feed table



July 4, 1939. G, sp gss 2,165,161

' FEED TABLE Filed April 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 4, 1939. PlEss w 2,165,161

FEED TABLE Filed April 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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was July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" Application April as. use. Serial No. seem in cm 5?! 30.1937

2 Claim. '(Cl. 271-52) 11118 invention relates to a feed table of the inclined r'ollertype which is provided with an adjustable guide rail for adjusting and feedins sheets to a machine and which may be partlcularly used as cross feed table between two sheet folding devices, etc. arranged at an angle to one another, in which the sheet is pressed against feed rollers acting on the underside of the sheet by means of pressure rolls or the like.

When tables of this kind are employed, particularly as cross feed tables in folding machines,

slipping ofv the sheets relative to the feeding means cannot be avoided if the pressure members acting from above are rotated solely by the sheet friction. When the sheets are placed on the table rectangularly to the guide rail deterportance for the output of the machine that cross folding is eflected withoutany stop and a sheet is fed already in the new direction when the following one coming from the preceding folding mechanism reaches the guide rail.

when several sheets simultaneously and sideby side arrive at the cross feed table, accurate forwarding without slipping is highly important. It is known to connect the upper pressure rolls in cross feed tables with the lower feed rollers by a toothed gearing so as to drive the upper and.

lower rolls simultaneously stuniform speed, but

I this positive connection 'is relatively expensive and clumsy and interferes with the easy mobility of the pressure means, which is required to permit a cross fed sheet to pass under the pressure rolls without delay. Exchange and adjustment of the pressure 'roll along the guide railare not possible in known cross feed tables, and if a toothed wheel happens to drop out, the entire rollerdrivewillbestoppd.

The invention. avoids the drawbacks connected with the known typeof cross feed tables and by providing, for driving of the pressure rolls by the feed rollers independentlyv of the sheet. drive insures easy yielding ofthe pressuregrolls and adaptability to. the requirements of operation and the changing-nature worked.

-1. 'nie inventionjconsists in that the;

of the material tojjbe pressure means, as rolls, brush wheels, etc., ail-1 justable along the guide rail, are separately connected with their respective feed rollers by a selectively engageable and disengageable' gear arranged on the other side of the guide rail. Each pressure member is driven by its feed roller through the medium of a frictional. gearing formed of the feed roller and a friction wheel disposed on the shaft of the pressure member, the frictional pressure of the wheel being regulatable like the pressure of the upper roll of the brush wheel upon the lower conveying roller. The bearing of the friction wheel and pressure Jmember may further be arranged in with respect to the pressure member known elastically yielding manner with adjustable spacing from the feed roller. To permit adjustment of the friction wheel and pressure member independently of one another each possesses a'special axle connected by known means, as a flexible shaft, etc.,- which render independent adjustment possible. In this way, themobility and adaptability "of the pressure member are insured without reacting on the frictional gearing. The friction wheel can be readilyremoved'and exchanged to permit at will cheer the other kind of sheet drive, with or without driving the pressure memher. This arrangement, furthermore, makes it possible to use friction wheels of different diameters to vary and regulate at will the circumferentlal speed of the pressure member relative to that of the lower rolls, 1. e., the feeding speed of the sheets can be reduced by attaching friction wheels of larger diameter and increased by employing friction wheels of smaller diameter. The friction wheels are preferably provided with an exchangeable frictional covering, as a rubber ring, etc. i Y.

By way of example, one form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which all parts not the invention have-been omitted.

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a view and a plan of the general arrangement of a cross feed table of a buckling folder for cross folding.

. Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a view and a plan on an enlarged scale of the driving connection between the driving feed roller and the driven pressure member. i

Fig. 5 is e-section ofthe bearing body of the pressure member on the line A-B, of Fig. 4. V

Fig. 6-is a view of the bearing body of-a pressure member seen in the-direction of the arrow A 'C'in Fig. 5, and

li 'igs. and 8 are enlarged partial sections, I

9 required for understanding corresponding to Fig. 5, which show the adjustable bearing of the shafts of the friction or brush wheels.

The sheets pass over a feed table I of inclined roller type into theflrst folding mechanism 2 connecting with parallel folders. The sheets coming out of the last parallel folder 3 are cut, in travelling direction by a longitudinal cutter comprising two circular knives 4, 5, and the cut'sheet portions pass over a guide plate 6 between a feed roller 1 and pressure rolls 8 which place the sheets on the cross feed table. The cross feed table comprises a frame 9, feed rollers l0 obliquely arranged in the frame 9 and uniformly driven in the same direction'in known manner, a directing and guide rail I l adjustable in the lateral direction of the table; and pressure members in the form of brush wheels I2 adjustablydisposed on the rail ll and parallel arranged with their axes to the feed rollers l0. The 'casing-like bearing bodies l3 of the brush wheels l2 are longitudinally displaceably mounted on the guide rail ll of the the guide rail l I.

cross feed table by means of a foot i l and can be held inposition by a clamping screw l5. -'I'he bearing "3 of the shaft I! of the brush wheels l2 possesses a set screw l8 which passes through a bore of the body I 3 and is provided on the outside with an adjusting nut l9. Between the bearing l6 and a shoulder of the bore of the casing a spring 20 is fixed. Theshaft I1 is further in driving connection with the shaft 22 of a friction wheel23-through a flexible shaft in the form of a spring 2l.- The bearing 24 of the shaft 22 for the friction wheel 23 is provided with a screw shank 25 which passes through a .bore of the casing l3 and is outside fitted with an adjusting nut 26 which is included between the casing l3 and an angular member 21 slipped over the shank 25 and secured to the casing l3 by a screw. A check nut 28 secures the adjustment of the friction disc. Instead of this arrangement for adjusting the pressure of the friction disc another arrangement similar to the one described in connection with the brush wheel may be employed.

' When the casing I3 is secured to the stop rail Ii, the shaft IQ of the brush wheel I2 and the shaft 22 of the friction wheel 23 unidirectionally rotate with the feed roller III with which the brush wheel and the friction wheel are to cooperate, the brush wheel l2 being disposed on the inside and the friction wheel 23 on the outside of The brush wheel is adjusted as to its distance from the feed roller l0 according to the natureand thickness of the material to be folded, 'andpressure between the friction wheel 23 and the feed roller I0 is regulated so that slipping cannot occ When a sheet is conveyed in the direction of the arrow D in Fig. 4 toward the guide II, it will lift the brush wheels l2 from the rollers III without causing any-reduction in the speed of rotation of the brush wheels which instantly engage thesheet at thespeed of the roller Ill. The non?- essary, yet as much as possible restricted, slip ping of the sheets relative to the conveying means is insured by the yielding arrangement of the brush wheels, apart from the elasticity of the brushes. Owing to the combined action of the rollers l0 and brush wheels 12 the sheets are moved'in the new, feeding direction with th greatest possible acceleration.

By reducing frictional pressure between the friction wheel 23 and. the feed roller l0 feeding drive can be reduced until it ceases completely. Furthermore, by employing friction wheels having a greater or smaller diameter than the associated feed roller the feeding drive of the brush.

wheels can be increased or decreased. Any variation in the circumferential speed of a brush wheel relative to its feed roller IIL'd ue to wear of a brush or friction wheel, can be readily compensated by exchange of a brush or friction wheel or lay-altering the rubbing covering of the friction wheel. I

If for any reason the circumferential speed of the brush wheel relative to that of the feed roller' I0 is to be reduced or increased at any point of the feed table, for instance to accelerate the speed of the sheet shortly before the folding mechanism and to retard it at a larger distance from the cross folder, both objects can be attained by simply arranging a smaller or larger friction wheel.

I claim:

1. A feed table for transferring sheets from a folding mechanism to a cross folder and including a guide rail, a series of feed rollers inclined to said guide rail and over which the fed sheets are translated, a series of pressure inducing means each associated with a respective feed roller and each having a shaft, gearing means connectin means, said gearing means including a shaft supported friction wheel removably mounted on the respective shaft, and means for regulating the pressure between said friction wheel and feed roller.

2. A feed table for transferring sheets from a folding mechanism toa cross folder and. includmeans, said gearing meansincluding a shaft sup- Y the respective feed rollers and pressure inducing ported friction wheel removably mounted on the respective shaft, means for regulating the pressure between saidfriction wheel and feed roller, said shafts being mounted in independently adjustable bearings, andaflexible shaft connecting said shafts whereby to permit independent ad- 'justment of the shafts of the pressure means and friction wheel with respect to the feed rollers.

GEORG SPIESS. 

